Monitoring vultures in the 21<sup>st</sup> century: The need for standardized protocols

Perrig, Paula L.; Lambertucci, Sergio A.; Donadío, Emiliano; Padró, Julián; Pauli, Jonathan N.

doi:10.1111/1365-2664.13348

Cited by 25 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Conservation of Egyptian vultures and other avian scavengers will require multi-target conservation plans aimed at ensuring varied food sources (wild prey, extensive livestock) providing both qualitative and quantitative nutritional requirements (Mateo-Tomás and Olea 2010; Dupont et al, 2012;Cortés-Avizanda et al 2016;Botha et al, 2017). In addition, we highlight the need for long-term monitoring of endangered long-lived species (Perrig et al, 2019), with particular scrutiny of potentially hidden effects within parameters that show apparent stability such as the fledgling rate from successful nests.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epizootics and sanitary regulations drive long-term changes in fledgling body condition of a threatened vulture

Donázar

Cortés‐Avizanda

Ceballos³

et al. 2020

Ecological Indicators

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Epizootics and deliberate changes in policies affecting the environment may affect large groups of species and the functioning of entire ecosystems. Although these effects often overlap in time, their simultaneous effect is rarely examined despite their importance as causes of current biodiversity loss. Here, based on the monitoring of an Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) population over thirty-three years , we increase our knowledge about the effects of anthropogenic-induced changes in food availability, both direct (sanitary policies limiting livestock carcass disposal) and indirect (a wild rabbit epizootic), on brood size and body condition of fledglings at nests. We compared the body mass of fledglings of broods with one chick (Single) and two chicks (within which we distinguished First and Second-hatched). The mass of Second-hatched chicks decreased after the plummet in rabbit populations (in the year 1990) and the regulations limiting carcass disposal ( 2005), reaching minimum values during the period with lowest food availability (i.e. 2005-2013). Recent sanitary legislation allowing carcass disposal by farmers coincides with a slight recovery in the observed body masses. Overall, this study shows that environmental changes of disparate origin can have synergistic effects on individual condition. Conservation of endangered vultures will require multi-targeted conservation plans aimed at ensuring nutritional requirements, in addition to detailed long-term monitoring, in order to detect obscure/ masked drivers that affect body condition of fledglings.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epizootics and sanitary regulations drive long-term changes in fledgling body condition of a threatened vulture

Donázar

Cortés‐Avizanda

Ceballos³

et al. 2020

Ecological Indicators

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“…Next Steps and Recommendations. Based on the results of this Range Wide Priority Setting exercise for the Andean Condor, we propose the following priority recommendations: (1) develop specific and comprehensive analyses and conservation plans with integrated and diverse conservation actions for identified ACCUs; (2) conduct surveys regarding the presence of Andean Condors in areas without expert knowledge about the species, or with very poor knowledge within existing ACCUs; (3) design and apply standardized Andean Condor census methodologies using examples from Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, and Peru, but also other monitoring techniques (e.g., Perrig et al 2019). These standardized methodologies should then be applied across the range, to assess population size, especially at priority conservation sites, thereby better informing future conservation decision making processes; (4) encourage greater international collaboration and interaction between countries, as Andean Condors do not recognize borders and require conservation across various jurisdictions; (5) promote mixed conservation strategies that recognize the role that local communities and private landowners will play in overall Andean conservation across the entire distribution area, and the need to increase environmental education and outreach; (6) work with the governments of the Andean nations to address the most pressing threats to Andean Condor populations, especially including legislation to prosecute the use of poisons in carcasses, and eliminate the risks of lead poisoning.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining Spatial Conservation Priorities for the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus)

Wallace

Reinaga

Piland

et al. 2022

Journal of Raptor Research

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The Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) is a culturally iconic wildlife symbol for the South American Andes, but is naturally found at very low population densities, and is increasingly threatened. Using the Range Wide Priority Setting methodology, we (a group of 38 Andean Condor experts) updated the Andean Condor historical range (3,230,061 km2), systematized 9998 Andean Condor distribution points across the range, and identified geographic areas for which there was expert knowledge (66%), including areas where Andean Condors no longer occur (7%), and geographic areas where condors are believed to range, but for which there was not expert knowledge about condor presence (34%). To prioritize conservation action into the future and identify existing Andean Condor population strongholds, we used expert knowledge to identify 21 of the most important areas for the conservation of the species (i.e., Andean Condor Conservation Units [ACCUs]) that cover 37% of the revised historical range, and range in size from 837 km2 to 298,951 km2. In general, ACCUs were relatively small in the northern portion of the range in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru, and significantly larger in the central and southern portion of the range in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, reflecting the reduced and narrower historical range in the northern portion of the range, as well as increased threats. Andean Condors can fly extremely long distances and so the populations of many neighboring ACCUs are probably still functionally connected, although this situation also underlines the need for integrated and large-scale conservation efforts for this species. As a function of the Range Wide Priority Setting results, we make recommendations to ensure population connectivity into the future and engage a wide range of actors in Andean Condor conservation efforts.

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“…; n = 3). We molecularly identified the sex and individual for each condor feather and evaluated age class based on their colour (Perrig et al., 2019). We prepared hair and feather samples for bulk isotope analysis by washing and rinsing three times with a solution 2:1 trichloromethane–methanol to remove dirt and surface oil, then all samples were homogenized in small parts (<1 mm) with surgical scissors and dried for 72 hr at 60°C.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

More than just meat: Carcass decomposition shapes trophic identities in a terrestrial vertebrate

et al. 2022

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1. Most food web models fail to account for the full complexity of interactions within a community, particularly where microbes are involved. Carcasses are microbe-rich resources and may represent a common nexus for the macrobiome and microbiome, effectively uniting autotrophs, consumers, predators and microbiota.2. We evaluated the role of carcasses as multitrophic resources and explored dietary partitioning for a sexually dimorphic obligate scavenger known for its hierarchical social system. This study was set in a well-studied community of camelids Vicugna, Lama guanicoe, pumas Puma concolor and Andean condors Vultur gryphus in the Andes. We hypothesized that condors, by feeding on trophically distinct dietary substrates within any given carcass, would have highly variable trophic position (TP) values. Furthermore, we expected that the microbial consumers within the carcass would inflate TP values in both, the carrion and the condors. Thus, we expected that the trophic heterogeneity within a carcass could facilitate sex-based dietary partitioning in condors.3. We used a multifaceted approach to assess the foraging of Andean condors, using regurgitated pellet and bulk isotopic analyses, and also quantified the TP of the entire community of graminoids, camelids, camelid carrion, pumas, and female and male condors employing compound-specific stable isotopes analysis of amino acids.4. Our analysis of condor pellets and bulk isotopes revealed non-trivial plant consumption, close to 10% of condor diet. Isotope analysis of amino acids revealed that condors had highly variable TPs (2.9 ± 0.3) compared to pumas (3.0 ± 0.0) and camelids (2.0 ± 0.1), likely representing 'trophic omnivory', wherein the condors consume plants (TP = 1.0 ± 0.1) and microbe-colonized carrion (2.3 ± 0.1). Female condors exhibited a TP (2.8 ± 0.2) lower than strict carnivory, suggesting that they consume more plant biomass in a carcass, while males (TP = 3.1 ± 0.3) are likely consuming more of the microbe-rich animal tissue.

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Monitoring vultures in the 21^st century: The need for standardized protocols

Cited by 25 publications

References 24 publications

Epizootics and sanitary regulations drive long-term changes in fledgling body condition of a threatened vulture

Epizootics and sanitary regulations drive long-term changes in fledgling body condition of a threatened vulture

Defining Spatial Conservation Priorities for the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus)

More than just meat: Carcass decomposition shapes trophic identities in a terrestrial vertebrate

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Monitoring vultures in the 21st century: The need for standardized protocols

Cited by 25 publications

References 24 publications

Epizootics and sanitary regulations drive long-term changes in fledgling body condition of a threatened vulture

Epizootics and sanitary regulations drive long-term changes in fledgling body condition of a threatened vulture

Defining Spatial Conservation Priorities for the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus)

More than just meat: Carcass decomposition shapes trophic identities in a terrestrial vertebrate

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Monitoring vultures in the 21^st century: The need for standardized protocols